Tent



April 23, 1940. 5, c Y 2,197,791

TENT

Filed Aug. 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS April 23, 1940. Q EDDY 2,197,791

TENT

Filed Aug. 14, 1936 2 sheets sheet 2 IN V ENTOR.

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Afq'ORNEYj Patented Apr. 23, 19140 v UNITED STATES PATENT omen. 4

TENT, Schuyler 0. E1165, Kalamazoo, Mich. Application August14,136,SerialNo. 96,066

'4 Claims. (01. 1354) tents there have been employed guy ropes, stakesand the like, and for sleeping accommodations of the occupants it hasbeen necessary to set up cots or folding beds;

10 This invention has for its objects:

First, to produce a new and improved tent of the class above mentioned.

Second, to produce such a tent which may be foldedinto a compact packagefor easy transportation.

' Third, to produce such a tent that is light in weight andmade of aminimum number of parts.

Fourth, to provide such a tent that will accommodate a large number ofoccupants in small 20 space,-leavingsufficient space in the tent forpurposes other 'than'sleeping purposes. Fifth; to provide such a tent inwhich the bunks are an integral part of the framework of thetent'and'serve to brace and support the framework, thereby eliminatingmany unnecessary parts;

Objects pertaining to details of construction and operation will appearfrom the detailed description to follow. The invention is defined in theclaims. A structure which is a preferred embodiment of my. invention is,illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which'z" I Fig. 1 is a topplan View of the framework of myimproved tent in set-up position.

Fig. '2 is a side elevation of the framework showing the canvas covertherefor extending over a portion of the framework.

I I Fig. 8 is a detail plan view, partly in section, of the peak memberemployed in the tent. I

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, taken on line 4-4 of'Fig. 3. v

Fig. 5 is 'a detail view, partly in section, of a fixture imposition onthe end of one of the top ribsof the tent, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. l is a detail view, partly in section, showing the means ofattaching the bunk frames to the supporting uprights, taken on line 1-1of Fig. 8. v

. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

Fig. .9 is a perspective view of one of the bunk frames,

fixtures 1 which are preferably castings.

Fig. 10-is a view of the framework of the tent in folded position fortransportation.

Fig. 11 is a detail view of an end of one of the supporting uprights andone of the top ribs of the tent in folded position. i

Fig. 12 is a view of a spacer bar for use in the doorway of'the tent. X

Fig. 13 is a view in section showing the peak member and means forclosing the opening therein when a stove is not used inthe tent, as inthe summer time.

In the drawings Ishow my improved support-- ing framework for a foldingtent. The top of the tent is substantially conical in form and is madeupof a peak member I and a plurality of radiating ribs 2. The peakmember is preferably made in the form ofa casting, substantially conicalin form, provided on its outer surface with raised webs 3 disposed inpairs thereabout and forming therebetween slots or channels 4. Acentralaperture 5 for a. stove pipe or the like is provided in the peakmember. It will be noted that most of the slots4 are spaced equally butthat the slots I04. and 204 are spaced more closely together so that theribs ,2 extending therefrom will lead to an entrance opening for thetent. At the 'periphery :of the peak member the bottoms of the slots 4open completely'through the, peak member, as at 5. The ribs 2 arepreferably made oilinch pipe or tubing and are pivoted in the slots 4,as shown, by rivets 6 which extent through the webs 3 and theinner endsof theribs 2 and are disposed above the opens 1 ings' 5 in the bottomsof the slots 4 so that the ribs 2 may be folded umbrella-wise as shownin Fig. 10.

;At the free ends of the ribs 2 are provided The endsof the ribs' 2' arefitted in bores-8 in the fixtures] and are riveted in place byrivets 9.Ears, I!) extend on each side of the fittings and are disposed to lieoneach side of the'ribs 2. Bores ll are provided in the ears. The freeends of the ribs'are connected by tie rods l2 consisting of metal rodswith the ends i3 bent at right angles. The ends I3 of the rod fit in thebores II and serve to hold the ends of the ribs 2 in spaced relation. Atie rod I|2 slightly shorter than the tie rod [2 is employed across theentrance Hi. In the bottoms of the fixtures 1 I provide slots 15.

Upright supporting members I6 are provided which are preferably steel Tbeams having a flange I1 about 1% inches in width and a stem l8 about 1/2. inches deep. The stem N3 of the l top of the T beam supportingmember I6 is fitted in the slot I5 and is pivoted in place with a boltI9 so that the uprights I6 may be detached from the fixtures or may befolded back along the ribs 2, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. A spacer bar26 is provided to be placedacross the bottom of the entrance I4 of thetent to hold the uprights I6 on each side of the tent properly spacedapart. This spacer is merely a bar having members 2I at the ends thereofcut away as at 22 to fit the T beams I6.

T0 brace and join together the uprights I6 I provide a plurality oftrapezoidal bunk frames 23 formed of angle irons so that at the ends ofthe bunks there are flanges 24 extending down- Wardly. At the ends ofthe flanges 24 are downwardly-facing slots 26 adapted to be fitted overheaded studs on the uprights-l6 to detachably hold and brace theuprights. Springs 21 may be provided in the bunk frames 23. The bunkframes 23 are disposed in two tiers 28, 29 around the periphery of thetent and serve to join substantially all of the uprights I6 each tothenext adjacent uprights, and the trapezoidal shape, of the bunk framespermits the frames to be fitted end to end around the tent. Thetrapezoidal bunk frames 23 have two parallel sides, the longer of whichis shown at 33 and the shorter at M. Thelonger sides 33 are disposedoutwardly when the bunk frames are in position in the tent and the bunkframes are fastened to the uprights I6 by a pair of headed studs 32,one, disposed on each side of the stem I8 of each upright. The headedstuds are joined by a single rivet 33 and fit within the slots 26 in theend flanges 23 of the bunk frames. To place the bunk frames in positionthe slots 26 are placed over the headed studs 32 and a fastening member34 pivoted at 35 on the stem I8 of the upright I6 is swung to the fullline position shown in Fig. 7,

locking the bunk frame in position. To' remove the bunk frame, themember 34 is moved to the dotted line position shownin Fig. 7.

To support the inner ends .of the bunk frames I provide verticalsupporting members 36. These are preferably T beams and the stemsthereof are provided with headed studs similar to the headed studs 32.The slots 26 adjacent the ends of the shorter parallel sides of thetrapezoidal bunk frames 23 fit over these studs and are locked inposition so that the inner edges of the bunk frames are locked to thesupports 36 and are also joined to one another at their ends so as toproduce a substantially integral structure which supports the bunkframes and also braces and supports the framework of the tent so thatguy ropes and stakes are unnecessary for supporting the frame.

A canvas covering 31 is provided to fit over the framework. At the topof the cover is a substantially conical sheet metal member 38 which isapertured at 38. The member 38 fits the top of the peak member I and theaperture' 39 registers with the aperture 5 in'the peak member I. Thecanvas cover is fastened to the'membe'r 38, as shown in Fig. 13, thecanvas 3! lying under the sheet metal member 33. A ring-"45 clamps thecanvas in position and rivets '30 hold the members assembled. A conicalcap II is provided to fit over the openings 39 and 5, which cap ishinged at 22 to the member 38 at a point spaced from the aperture 39 sothat when a stove pipe 453 leading from a stove E4 is inserted throughthe openings 5 and 39'the cap 4| is moved to the fullline positionshown-in Fig.- 13.

If it is not desired to have a stove in the tent the pipe 43 will beremoved and. the cap is in position to fall by gravity over the openings39 and 5 to close them as shown in'dotted lines in Fig. 13. It will beapparent that when the pipe 43 has been inserted the cap 4! restsagainst it so that it will fall by gravity to cover the opening shouldthe pipe be removed.

I have shown my improvements in the form preferred by me, but I. amaware that other forms and modifications are possible and will beapparent to those skilled in the art, and I wish to claim the inventionbroadly'as well as specifically, as pointed out in the appended claims.

Having thusdescn'bed my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a tent, the combination of a plurality of verticalsupportsdisp'osed at the periphery of the tent, a plurality of framesdisposed in two tiers peripherally around the tent with their outeredges extending between, and joining said supports to form therewith acontinuous enclosing structural member, said frames extending inwardlyfrom the periphery. of the tent and having a plurality of verticalsupports disposed at the innermost projecting cornersof the frames andjoined to and connecting said innermost ber is shorter than thecontinuous structural member formed by said first mentioned supports andthe outer. edges of said frames, whereby said frames are joined to andbrace substantially all of the supports each to the next adjacent suppor2. In a tent, the combination of a plurality vof vertical supportsdisposed at the periphery of the tent, a plurality of frames disposedperipherally around the tent with their outer edges extending betweenand joining said supports to. form there with a continuous enclosingstructural member, said frames extending inwardly from the periphery ofthe tent and having a plurality of vertical supports disposed at theinnermost projecting corners of the frames and joined to and connectingsaid innermost corners of adjacent frames to form with the innerv edgeof said frames a continuous structural member, the width of saidsupports and the length of the inner and. outer frame edges being suchthat said second mentioned structural member is vertical supports, aplurality of frames disposed in two tiers peripherally around thetentwith I 1 corners of, adjacent frames to said supports to 15peripherally around the tent with their outer edges extending betweensaid supports, means on said supports and frames to detachably connectsaid supports and frames to form with the outer edges of said frames andsaid supports a continuous enclosing structural member, said frameextending inwardly frornthe periphery ofthe tent and having a pluralityof vertical supports disposed at the innermost projecting cor ners ofthe frames, and means on said second mentioned supports and on saidframes detachably joining and connecting the innermost corners ofadjacent frames to said supports to form with said supports and theinneredges of said frames a continuous structural member, the width orsaid supports and the length of the said second mentioned structuralmember is shorter than the continuous structural member outer edges ofsaid frames, whereby said frames are joined to and bracesubstantiallyall of the supports each to the next adjacent support SCHUYLER C. EDDY.

I10 inner and outer frame edges being such that l I formed by said firstmentioned supports and the

